NOW Deepens Partnership With MSFT: Can it Drive Top-Line Growth?

Core Insights - ServiceNow (NOW) is enhancing its collaboration with Microsoft (MSFT) through new integrations aimed at improving orchestration, governance, and collaboration across AI agents and workflows [1][2] - The partnership will connect ServiceNow's AI Platform with Microsoft 365, Copilot, Foundry, and GitHub, facilitating better management of autonomous AI agents [1][2] - ServiceNow has raised its subscription revenue guidance for 2025 to between $12.835 billion and $12.845 billion, indicating a 20% growth on a non-GAAP constant currency basis [3] Integration and Collaboration - The integration of NOW's AI Control Tower with Microsoft Foundry and Copilot Studio will enable automatic governance across AI agents on Microsoft platforms [2] - ServiceNow Build Agent's integration with GitHub allows secure access to GitHub issues, pull requests, and discussions [2] - Upcoming integration of Now Assist with Microsoft Agent 365 will bring enterprise workflows into Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Teams [2] Competitive Landscape - ServiceNow faces significant competition from Atlassian (TEAM) and Salesforce (CRM), both of which are enhancing their subscription-based solutions and AI capabilities [4][5] - Atlassian has seen a CAGR of approximately 40% in its subscription segment from fiscal 2020 to fiscal 2025, driven by demand for automated communication systems [4] - Salesforce reported a 140% year-over-year increase in Data Cloud customer adoption, indicating strong demand for AI tools that enhance enterprise workflows [5] Financial Performance and Valuation - ServiceNow's stock has declined by 24.6% year to date, underperforming the broader Zacks Computer and Technology sector, which has returned 25.9% [6] - The forward 12-month price/sales ratio for NOW is 10.83X, significantly higher than the sector average of 6.61X, suggesting that the stock may be overvalued [9] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for fourth-quarter 2025 earnings is $4.35 per share, reflecting an 18.53% year-over-year growth [11]